This review has been updated to indicate changes in Comcast Business’s internet plans, bundle packages, and pricing tiers. A previous version of this review also erroneously indicated that the majority of Comcast Business’s internet connections were fiber-optic, when they are in fact cable. This has been corrected as well.

Comcast Business Internet, servicing small to midsize startups for over a decade, is a solid alternative to the DSL internet connection that’s currently forcing your employees to squeeze twenty pounds of data through a five-pound tube. It may cost a little more than similarly micro-focused providers, but its dependable, fast network—not to mention a coaxial cable infrastructure that spans most of the US—rates a look for your expanding shop.

Comcast Business Internet is best for businesses that prioritize reliability and speed

Comcast is everywhere, like Starbucks and Pizza Hut, Comcast is everywhere—they don’t necessarily make everyone’s favorite latte or pepperoni slice, but they’re probably serving it somewhere near you. Comcast Business’s far-reaching availability and reliably stable high-speed internet service are, however, counterbalanced by an 800-pound gorilla with a headset: a notoriously iffy customer service reputation. Still, with five service packages geared toward small businesses and, again, sheer ubiquity, Comcast Business internet is a definite startup contender—just be prepared to pay a little more for it.

Data effective 11/05/18. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

*For the first 24 months

Note that while the download speeds are impressive, the upload speeds are significantly slower. Since Comcast Business is mostly coaxial cable-based, it acts like a beefier version of DSL—fast downloads, but uploads can’t keep pace, due to the design of the infrastructure. In some parts of the country, Comcast Business utilizes fiber-optic connections, which transmit light through glass or plastic threads instead of electromagnetic cables. The biggest advantages of fiber are less signal loss and interference and evenly matched upload and download speeds (more on Comcast Business fiber availability later).

Comcast Business Internet plans

Starter Internet, at $69.95 a month, is a bare-bones setup for a two-employee operation. Its modest 25 Mbps can handle basic web browsing and email functions but little else. It’s not recommended for heavy file traffic.

Business Internet 75, at $99.95 a month, is a great option for a business where multiple employees (up to seven) need to collaborate online regularly. Data backups and file sharing are also cushioned nicely at 75 Mbps.

Business Internet 150, at $139.95 a month, is for a ten-employees-and-up shop conducting serious online business. Its 150 Mbps speed can easily shoulder website hosting and cloud-based applications with room to grow.

Business Internet 300, at $199.95 a month, is a beefy choice for medium-to-large offices, with enough speed and bandwidth to handle all of the above, as well as video and audio streaming. Business.org recommends this Comcast Business plan as a price-to-power value.

All five plans include the following:

Free professional installation with modem (not offered by most other companies)

30-day, money-back-guaranteed trial period

Comcast Business App (iOS and Android) for managing accounts and troubleshooting internet Wi-Fi service problems

Comcast WiFi Pro for the creation and data management of separate employee and customer networks, as well as Wi-Fi hotspots

Data effective 11/05/18. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

*For the first 24 months

What you should know about Comcast Business Internet

You’ve heard it: there are Middle-Eastern dictatorships with better customer-service ratings than Comcast. It’s legend, but not entirely accurate—most of those complaints are aimed at the residential Xfinity side of the service. Comcast Business fares better in customer satisfaction. Most online customer reviews give positive feedback on the company’s internet speeds and support, while many negative comments regard pricing.

Comcast Business Internet sells itself as being “built for business,” specifically small business, promising quick resolutions to service interruption.

Comcast Business Internet sells itself as being “built for business,”1 specifically small business, promising quick resolutions to service interruptions—including billing credits for downtime and the previously mentioned money-back guarantee trial period. Industry reviews from J.D. Power and here at Business.org rank Comcast’s overall small-business internet service just below that of Verizon Fios (which is less widely available) and AT&T (which is more expensive).2

Even though—or perhaps because—it falls somewhere between its competitors on several fronts, there’s plenty to like about Comcast Business Internet. Mbps to Gbps, speed is speed, no matter which company is providing it.

Strengths

24/7 local support

Free installation, 30-day trial

Symmetrical upload/download speeds

No data caps or throttling

Wi-Fi services included

Weaknesses

Limited fiber-optic availability

Higher prices than similar networks

Static IP address change

Mixed customer reviews

Heads Up

There are Middle-Eastern dictatorships with better customer-service ratings than Comcast. It’s legend, but not entirely accurate.

Comcast Business Internet FAQ

What’s the difference between Comcast and Xfinity?

Xfinity is the consumer, or residential, division of Comcast, providing household TV, internet, and phone services. Comcast split in 2010 to differentiate home services from business customers, as well as to “refresh” their cable-provider image from decades past.3 The move to Xfinity TV and internet was also called out as a play to distance Comcast from its notoriously terrible customer service reputation and has generally just confused the public to this day. Also, besides being Xfinity’s parent company, Comcast also owns NBCUniversal and its stable of more than a dozen broadcast and cable TV networks plus TV and film production studios.

How much speed does my business need?

The real answer is “all of it”—who wants anything less than the fastest internet connection? The question should be, How much do you want to pay?

Comcast’s Starter Internet at $69.95 a month would satisfy the basic online needs of a pair of employees with just 25 Mbps. The Business Internet 75 package ups the speed and user capacity for an additional $30 a month, all the way up to Business Internet 150, which can handle up to and beyond ten employees—and large file transfers and heavy hosting traffic—for $139.95. Again, we recommend the Business Internet 300 plan, which could handle most anything you could throw at it for $199.95 a month.

Comcast also offers a vaguely detailed “ultra-fast” 1-gigabit package for speed demons with cash to burn at $499.95 per month. Of course, at a 1 internet gig speed test, it can still only upload at 35 Mbps. Unless your small crew needs to play Call of Duty while watching Netflix all day, save your money.

Where is Comcast Business internet available?

Fiber-optic internet, a growing component of Comcast Business’s internet service model, is a relatively new gigabit speeds technology. While the company’s fiber reach is as good as or better than most other internet providers, it’s still not everywhere; you may have to check into other ISPs. Unless your business resides in one of the following areas, you’d be offered Comcast Business cable internet (until the company’s fiber rollout expands into to your neighborhood).

Atlanta, GA

Baltimore, MD

Boston, MA

Chicago, IL

Denver, CO

Detroit, MI

Harrisburg, PA

Hartford, CT

Houston, TX

Indianapolis, IN

Jacksonville, FL

Miami, FL

Nashville, TN

Jersey City, NJ

Oakland, CA

Philadelphia, PA

Pittsburgh, PA

Portland, OR

Sacramento, CA

Salt Lake City, UT

San Francisco, CA

San Jose, CA

Seattle, WA

Washington, DC

Western New England

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN

The Takeaway

Comcast Business Internet is an attractive option for a small business that requires speed and stability and is willing to pay a little more for it.

It’s neither the fastest nor the cheapest, but Comcast Business Internet is reliable, available, and loaded with extra features to sweeten the deal. Apart from the monthly pricing, it’s a small-business-friendly service that offers room to grow (to a point). And while there are some of the usual service and outage complaints, Comcast’s past negative customer service reputation doesn’t necessarily apply to its business internet division.

Comcast Business’s client base is showing rapid growth, and the company is building its infrastructure to keep pace.4 It’s only growing, so we’re certain Comcast could be the answer for your small business’s internet connectivity needs.

Disclaimers

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don’t guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.

I’m not sure where you guys got that Comcast offers symmetrical up/down, but for my business that is strictly false.

chaos215bar2

+1 Comcast does not and has never offered symmetrical up/down speeds on cable business internet packages.

David Russell

Avoid Comcast Business. Costs are high. They are constantly calling you to sell upgrades… Speeds are average, and low for the amount of money you pay. Contacts are Nazi-like. They wanted a $1,000 early termination fee after one year on a two year contract. Customer service people are friendly, but cannot help. FIND ANOTHER COMPANY!

Maria Arellano

Hi. Did you every find a way to get out of the situation? We are running through a similar problem. We sold our building and asked to transfer the services to another location. It was accepted and i signed documents for the transfer. They later found out the location was not serviceable and we can cancel with no fee. They then asked for a lease of the new location and after we sent it to them, they said it was not valid since the lease said “Sin Frontera LLC” (The name registered to the state) and not “Sin Frontera Mexican Restaurant” (the name they have). Now they are not accepting the lease. We even have another lease with the name requested and they still won’t accept it. They are finding any way to force us to pay the termination fee of $2000.

David Russell

No. They don’t deal with you as people. You’re just an account whom they can take advantage of. It’s very offensive. Even though the quality of their internet is good and the people who show-up onsite to do repairs are nice, the customer service and billing side of their operation is low quality and/or heartless.

Obviously there are no costs to them when we stop service. I call it “legalized rape.” Hope you have a better experience.

Rachel Williams

Wow I was thinking of getting this but after seeing the conversation I dont feel very comfortable anymore. Which provider are you using if not this? because I am looking for a reliable connection for my business I mean it will be about 15 people on the internet together most of the times and I can not afford any disruption in the connection

David Russell

The technical side of the service is good. If you sign their contract and have to terminate early, you pay a huge termination fee. Ours was equal to 5-6 months of service. Customer service cannot help. They are polite, but not allowed to treat you as a human being / Golden Rule.

Maria Arellano

Please some body give me an advice I need Help. We sold our building and asked to transfer the services to another location. It was accepted and i signed documents for the transfer. They later found out the location was not serviceable and we can cancel with no fee. They then asked for a lease of the new location and after we sent it to them, they said it was not valid since the lease said “Sin Frontera LLC” (The name registered to the state) and not “Sin Frontera Mexican Restaurant” (the name they have). Now they are not accepting the lease. We even have another lease with the name requested and they still won’t accept it. They are finding any way to force us to pay the termination fee of $2000.

Maria Arellano

Comcast Business

Evan Bauman

Avoid at all costs. We were a Comcast Business customer for 6 years. Then we needed to move to a new location for a a period of time before shutting down. Our move request was processed as a “new” account with an accompanying 3 year commitment. Now I am unable to cancel without paying 75% of the entire remaining balance. Was willing to pay a reasonable early termination fee but not thousands of dollars.

tompaine101

Just called to disconnect my service and found out there is a 60-day notice required, so they get to bill me for 2 months for absolutely nothing. No reason whatsoever for a provision like this buried in the general terms except that they can bilk people for more money when they leave. Comcast will never, ever get another dime from me for the rest of my life, and I will make sure to let everyone I know about their business practices.

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